The combination of two
great products or ideas has proven successful time and time again. Remember
the marriage of chocolate and peanut butter? It led America to the tasty
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, which has endured as a snack staple for
decades. On a slightly more impressive scale (at least more impressive
for noncandy fans) has been the combination of car and truck in the form
of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), which are supposed to combine the comforts
of a sedan with the sightlines and stowage space afforded by a truck.

Cruisers Yachts has
taken a page from the automobile industry handbook and built what it says
is the nautical equivalent of an SUV. The boat is called the 4550 Express
Motoryacht, and she debuted at the 2003 Miami International Boat Show.
Shortly after her coming-out party there, I was invited to stop by Fort
Lauderdale’s Pier 66 Marina and give the prototype a look-see and
wring-out.

The 4550’s dual
appearance is the result of the Cruisers’ design team “just
kind of brainstorming,” says Don DePouw, vice president of marketing
for Cruisers Yachts. The team’s synapses must have been firing fast
and furious, as the think tank came up with some neat features. On the
practical yet aesthetically pleasing side are two sweeping scoops that
sit near the port and starboard corners of the transom. While they make
for a sleek and attractive design element, they also direct air aft underway
to break up exhaust that might otherwise sweep up and over the back of
the boat. When I ran the 4550, I found the scoops were effective, with
no fumes to be found.

And you don’t want
mephitic odors hanging around the cockpit, especially when you see how
much emphasis Cruisers put into making this area the place to be while
cruising with compadres. On a typical motoryacht, the flying bridge might
have some seating forward of the helm and perhaps a lounge to port or
starboard, with the cockpit crowd far and away. But Cruisers’ hybrid
approach enables the cockpit and bridge deck to be one large entertainment
area. All the way aft in the cockpit is a large benchseat for three or
more, and an aft-facing seat for two keeps guests sitting at these areas
within earshot. But that’s not all. Just forward of that aft-facing
seat is the helm station with seating for the captain and first mate.
To port there’s even more seating in the form of a J-shape settee.
Of course, to minimize trips below decks for beverages, a standard wet
bar, ice maker, and refrigerator are just aft the settee. This is a great
layout for those who like to entertain alfresco.

But if the weather becomes
a bit much, the party doesn’t have to stop, because for an additional
$9,286 the 4550 can be equipped with an optional hardtop, acrylic enclosure,
and wing doors to protect the cockpit and bridge deck. (A bimini top is
standard.) Our test boat had the hardtop, and as test day proved a bit
breezy (winds about 15-plus mph out of the southeast), I found it helped
reduce unwanted wind. I suggest getting this option, especially if you
cruise in cooler climes.